Umano
by sukiyumi14
Summary: Bella lives in an abusive home, Edward has everything he could ever need. She can't remember a thing, but he knows all. Can he make her remember before it's too late?  AH
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, I'm back! I know you think I died but no, I was just busy and too lazy to do anything in my free time. So, here's a new one, loosely based off of my old story, Crack Heads.**

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**Umano**

Chapter 1

'Oh God, school starts today.' I think groggily as I slam the beeping contraption on my night stand. I lay in bed a few more moments, enjoying the last bit of warmth before I threw myself into another long, cold day of work.

"Get up! You're gonna be late!" this obnoxious shout was followed by a loud pounding on my door.

I grumbled incoherently and pounded my alarm some more. After I managed to shower and get dressed in an outfit that generally resembled a clean t-shirt and jeans, I joined my mother for breakfast.

"Good Morning!" she said with the extreme perky-ness that she was all too early in the morning for me.

"Morning." I grumbled as I shoved some toast down my throat.

I was brushed the crumbs off my shirt when I noticed Renee eyeing my ensemble. "What?" I asked, mouth still half full of toast.

"Don't you want to wear something nice today?" she asked warily.

"No, why should I?" I shrugged nonchalantly. "People'll get all excited, expecting another great 'Bella Original' only to be let down when I show in this for the rest of the year." I wave my hand in the air near my clothes.

"What if you wear 'Bella Originals' all the time?" she was peeking at me from behind her glass of orange juice, this question was said quieter than the last.

"Do I own a single 'Bella Original'? No." I rebutted shortly.

"We could go shopping, the two of us. I'd buy you a new wardrobe. Would you like that?" she fiddled with her fingers half-knowing the answer, half-hoping I'd changed over-night.

I clasped my hands together like a cheerleader with fake enthusiasm. "OH YES, Mommy-Dearest! I would love to shop all day with you and spend all that money you don't have! It'd be a blast!" I dropped my hand heavily and raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Yippie." I deadpanned as I twirled a finger in an invisible circle.

Renee looked hurt at my spiel. "You don't have to be so mean about it."

I found some grapes and commenced popping them into my mouth. "And what would Phil say? I bet he'd love it, too." I nodded, I thinking back to the banging this morning. "On second thought, let's do it. I'd love to see the look on his face when they ring up hundred dollar jeans."

A brown paper bag was shoved into my hand and a push on my back. "Go to school."

I peeked in the bag and saw a half empty booze bottle and a full pack a cigs. "Wrong sack." I tossed it back to her, displaying my extreme lack of all physical coordination and ended up throwing it at her knee. It bounced off, rebounding off the cabinet corner and shatter on the floor.

I quickly looked up and was met with a death glare. I turned on my heels, grabbed my backpack and high-tailed for the door.

"ISABELLA SWAN! I CAN TELL YOU, PHIL WILL BE HOME EARLY-" I didn't stick around to hear the rest. She might stand there and scream fir another ten minutes then go out and buy more B&Cs, as we like to call them.

The walk to school was brisk, I was putting as much distance between the house and me as possible, knowing no amount of space was enough. It wasn't the house itself that I didn't like; it was the events that took place there.

At school, I slumped down into my homeroom and scanned the people I've known since pre-k.

There's Jessica, head cheerleader and prep extraordinaire. Lauren, Jessica's tag-along puppy and booty call queen. Mike, Jessica's boyfriend, head QB and jerk extreme sits to her right, groping some part of her body at all times. They really were a match made in high hell; they both are athletic and happy and live by the 'Looks before Books.' theory. There's Angela, the quiet girl next to Ben, her man candy, is the student body president and violin protégée. Ben, well, basically is a sweater-vest person. He's professional all the time and destined for Harvard as the third generation of lawyers in his family. In the back, there's Tyler and his cronies hang, milking the last of their high before school starts. There's Eric who sits in front, pen in hand, eager and ready to absorb all and any little tidbit the teacher may with to bestow into his oh-so-geeky head.

As a woman in a pair of black slacks and a grey sweater walks in, presumably the teacher, a sheepish student attempts to sneak into class. He is crouched over, trying to make his tall frame seem less tall. His tousled bronze hair looks like bed head but to the trained eye of a hair dresser's daughter, it was clearly gelled in a very on purpose fashion. He has pale skin that greatly contrasts with the navy blazer he has thrown over his shoulders. His piercing green eyes cut into mine as visual confirmation was made that, yes, he is the most beautiful man I've ever seen.

While we were lost in our world, the rest of the class joined me in staring at him. Some were ogling, some were glaring, but only one was tapping her boorish shoe impatiently.

"I take it that you must be Mr. Cullen." the lady spoke.

"Guilty." he said in a slur that was either the early morning drawl, from which I also suffer from occasionally, or one hell of a sexy accent. Either way, it's all attractive; I think I heard a girl in the back sigh (loudly I might add).

"Well, that makes two things then, take a seat. Tardy is not the way to start off the year." she then proceeded to drone on about something that fell on deaf ears because 'Mr. Cullen' was choosing a seat.

The air thickened as he scanned the room for empty chairs. He seemed to spy one in my general direction and my heart began to palpate over the fact that he (being fresh, incredibly gorgeous, meat) would be in my wing of the classroom, not Jessica's. Because if he went over there he would be sucked in by the glitter, as I was, then suffocated by the fake fluff she considered conversation.

He took a few loopy steps and plopped down in the seat next to me. The teacher talked for the rest of class so I never got to see if his voice is as beautiful as his face.

The rest of the school day passed without a hitch, but I soon realized that the biggest hitch of the day would always be going home.

The short cobblestone path leading to the ornate front door seemed all too short as I tested the handle, open. The foyer and kitchen were both empty but that isn't anything out of the ordinary. The living room is the nucleus if our house, Phil slumps in his worn, faded orange striped armchair. While Renee busies herself at the little coffee table, fiddling with papers or cloth. Walking past the room proved my memory true, minus Phil who hasn't gotten home yet.

I continued on my path to my room and began working on the standard beginning of school homework.

At roughly seven, Phil came home from work. I heard him bang around for something to eat downstairs then yell at Renee about some missing booze. I heard a loud crash and then large work boot stomping up the stairs.

"Oh God." I whispered to myself under my breath. I sat at my desk, staring at the door, knowing he would burst through the doorway and yell and scream and kick me on the ground. I contemplated running and blocking my door but I stopped that idea in it's tracks, knowing that would infuriate Phil even more, despite the fact that he's always mad. As I hear his footsteps get closer, I feel almost impatient because of the adrenaline in my system. I was ready to fight back this time, tonight would be the start of a new Bella, a woman who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. I heard his step pause at my door and I stand in anticipation, locking eyes with the doorknob. I swallow, the saliva going down my throat sounds like a giant squish in my anticipating ears. I heard a light touch land on the handle and I bend my knees, coiling for the fight. My breath is heavy and loud, my fingers tremble like an addict suffering withdrawal.

What I wasn't expecting was for the hand to be removed from my doorknob and the heavy steps to continue down the hallway. I plop down on the edge of my bed and think about what a stupid idea that would to stand up to Phil. That would end in my blood all over the floor. What made me think I could fight; I can barely connect a high-five, let alone a full on punch. I shake my head at my own idiocy.

I became so engrossed in my thoughts I didn't notice the boots running back down the hall until they burst into my room. My head snapped up and my jaw fell open. The door banged open and the walls shook with vibrations. A dark frame looms by the door, moving in place from foot to foot. He steps slowly and carefully towards me. Just as slowly, he raises what's in his hand; an amber bottle, broken roughly in half glints ominously in the dim lighting is gripped in his fist.

"Do youknow what thisis?" he slurs, waving it in the air while approaching me. "Why did you break it? Was it yours?" he doesn't wait for me to answer; he begins to raise his voice. "I DON'T THINK SO! IT WAS MINE!" he lurches forward, drunk without the extra alcohol.

I whimpered. "It was an accident!"

"NO!" he roared. "YOU were the accident!"

With that he began to swing the bottle wildly. He missed the first few swings, spraying booze around the room like a gentle mist early in the morning. Finally, he came in contact with my leg as I tried to run for the door. I fell and he smashed most of the bottle on my back, sending little shining glass stars across my vision. They landed in my hair and embedded in my hands and forearms. I turned to face him and all the pain hit me at once. It seared and burned and I found breathing very difficult.

"How do you like that, bitch?" he stuck his face near mine, his breath reeking of alcohol. "Does it feel good?" he smashed the bottle over my shoulder and kicked me in the stomach. "Well enjoy it. You deserve it."

He disappeared after conking my head with the mouth of the bottle. My vision blurred and grew dark at the edges. As I lay down to die, I watched the red and blue lights flashing outside through my open window.

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**Well, what did you guys think? Any suggestions or comments, you know what to do!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Umano**

Chapter 2

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I woke up in a pristine white bed, the sheets crumpled only where I fidgeted in my sleep. The walls were bleached down to a similar sterile white, as well as the floors. I flopped my head onto my pillow and stared at the popcorn ceiling some more.

A gorgeous tall blond man sporting a long white coat entered the white room. "Ah, I see you're awake Li-" he cut himself off. "Bella." he paused for a moment. "How are you feeling?" he tried to cover his mistake.

I brushed over the mistake, chalking it up to the thousands of people he sees week. Meanwhile, I took a personal inventory. My arms seemed fine as well as right leg, but when I leaned forward to look at my other leg, a sharp pain in my back returned me to a horizontal position. With a quick intake of air, I responded to his question. "Ouch, that hurts."

"Okay, you're still experiencing back pain. How is your leg?"

I wiggled it, or so I thought. "No feeling." I was about to check if my toes were wiggling, then thought better of it.

"Hm, I ask the nurse to try something a little different with the pain meds." he scribbled down a note on his clipboard. "And your shoulder, how's that?"

I rolled my left shoulder which was sore from lying in bed for God knows how long. But when I began to roll the other one, tears sprang to my eyes with the amount of pain that shot to my brain. "No, not good at all."

"Okay, how's your head?"

"A little fuzzy." I said, commenting on how thinking wasn't very clear.

He scribbled more notes and told me to rest, he'll get the nurse, then left.

I laid back to do as he said and reflected on the new kid from school. He kept looking over at me during class, then switching his gaze to the front of the classroom. This act gave me little flutters in my stomach knowing he was, at least, interested.

My thoughts were disturbed when a nurse sashayed into the room in a familiar way. Her face was average and I didn't recognize her from anywhere I could think of.

"Here you go, sweetie." she handed me a little cup of water and some pills. I downed both and returned the cup to her. She left and I fell asleep in the same position I woke in.

The next tie I woke up, it was dark. I presumed it was the middle of the night. I looked around, noticing I was sitting up when I didn't remember doing such an action. Surveying the room, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I laid back down to try and get some more rest. As soon as my eyelids sheathed my eyeballs, horrifying images came to me. I opened my eyes again suddenly, half-expecting the images to reappear and live outside my imagination.

I curled up on the hospital bed, hugging my knees. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mom driving off a cliff on a TV, the headlines screaming something about a local suicide. In the dream, I changed the channel and came up with something very similar to the last video playing. It was the same thing over and over again, always replaying the death scene and then a flash of the mauled, burnt body. I must have gone through a hundred channels in my mind, when the little number went back to two, a new video played. The announcer said he had a message for an 'Isabella Swan' from her mother. The camera cut away from him and the body of my dead mother was shown, laid out on a stretcher. Suddenly, she sat up, gasping for breath. Once she had enough, she looked straight into my eyes, into my soul and very being and began screaming.

"**WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME, BELLA! WHY DIN'T YOU SAVE ME!"**

I sat up screaming the same words, when I opened my eyes, it was morning and a whole onslaught of hospital crew when standing around me, staring in a mixture of horror and wonder.

The pretty male doctor from before slowly approached me with his hand outstretched, palm up, walking in front of the other staff members. "Bella, are you alright?"

"I didn't save her." I whispered I hugged my knees again, realizing I fell back asleep against my will. I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat felt closed up and I heard a sob escape. Only then did I realize I was crying. I reached up and touched my cheek in horror. I was bawling in front of all these people, I must look awful. "I'm sorry." I began to wail loudly, breaking down for the first time in months, showing all my pain to complete strangers. "I had a nightmare." I whispered into my knees, rocking gently.

"It's alright, Bella you're safe now." He looked into my eyes as he lightly touched my shoulder in an attempt to console me. He turned to face the small crowd. "Will someone open the blinds?" he faced me again. "Would you like a glass of water?"

I nodded, then paused as an odd thought hit me. I am in a hospital, being asked if I want water. I look back at the doctor and was about to ask why I was here, when I remembered.

Phil.

He has always been the reason.

The doctor waited expectantly for me to say something. When I did, he said something instead. "Is there anything else you need? Should we contact your parents to come see you?" I shook my head violently, giving the world a tops-turvy spin. He pursed his pale lips together and opened then again. "Alright, my name is Dr. Cullen and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to have a nurse get me, okay?"

I nodded and I watched the room empty out now that the drama was over with. I laid back down and tested my sanity with my eyes closed. Nothing but darkness enveloped around me and I slept peacefully for the rest of the day.

On my fourth day in the hospital, Dr. Cullen came in to tell me how my healing was going.

"What's up, doc?" I smiled up at him, becoming more comfortable around him was getting to be easy for he was so friendly.

He smiled back, amused at my joke despite the fact that he's probably heard that one once or twice, considering his profession. "Well, you're down to cuts and bruises that will be tender for the next few days, nothing you can't handle." He smiled up at me from his ever present clipboard. "So, it looks like you'll be released at the end of the day." He flipped the clip board back onto the bed and looked satisfied that he once again, was able to cure his patient, no matter how minor the injuries. "So when your parents come to pick you up, you'll be free to go." he emphasized the parents bit, hinting at the fact that no one has come to visit me besides medical staff.

I didn't let on that I knew no one would be there to check me out. "Okay."

He left the room to go attend his other patients, waving his hand as he walked away.

When the afternoon came, I was given my old clothes for lack of anything better to change into. They were ripped and bloody, it looked as though someone had tried to wash them, but they just looked overly bleached.

I smiled at the nurse who brought them to me, noticing how she was the same one who brought me water earlier. "Thank you." I said as if nothing was wrong with them, knowing this was only her job.

Once clothed, I was lead to a waiting area different from the one with all the sick folk. She motioned for me to take a seat and wait for my parents. She told me that they called them and they responded with "Okay."

I was still in the waiting room an hour later. I had already asked if I could check myself out. The lady behind the desk told me no because I was a minor. I felt angry at her, but knew it wasn't her fault.

Half an hour later, Dr. Cullen came down and turned in his badge with his name on it, thanking the lady behind the desk. As he turned to put on his jacket, he spotted me. "Hey Bella, weren't you released two hours ago?"

So my time-telling is a little off, what does half an hour make when I'll be waiting here for the rest of my life if they really mean I have to wait for Renee or Phil. I just nodded instead of spilling my brain. "Yup." It came out a little more tight lipped than I wanted, but I'd been there for awhile.

"Are your parents coming to get you?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing together like little blond caterpillars.

I shrugged. "Maybe." I thought about it. "Probably not." I admitted.

"Why not? Did they arrange for someone else to pick you up?"

I shook my head. "If they put me here, why would they want to get me back?" I said that more to myself than him, truly admitting to myself that my mother no longer cared for me and her boyfriend wouldn't give a rat's ass if I died, only complain that he would have to pay for a funeral, considering my mom has no money.

His face seemed to crumple in sadness. He abruptly turned around to the lady behind the desk. "I'm here to check Bella Swan out of the hospital."

We were both surprised at her actions. She fiddled around in her seat. "Can you do that?" she whispered.

"Sure, I'm a legal adult who she knows and am very capable of caring for her after she leaves the hospital. Give me her sheet."

She handed it over and he filled out the necessary requirement on the paper and handed it back. "Thanks."

He gestured for me to follow him to his car. "Where do you live?" he asked as we got in his sporty doctor-mobile.

I repeated and address I knew by heart and began spouting directions.

After a quick drive, we pulled up to a familiar yellow house. Suddenly I was ashamed of where I lived, I've never felt that way because no one comes to my house. I felt silly sitting in his expensive car while our gutters were overrun with leaves and the roof sagged and the paint chipped and the inside, though he couldn't tell, smelled of booze and cigarettes. I also noticed that the windows were dark and no movement could be detected.

"Thanks for the ride Dr. Cullen. And for checking me out." I unlatched the door and had one foot out when he spoke.

"Bella, is anyone home?" his eyes looked away from the sad house and looked into my eyes.

I shrugged again. "No, probably not." He looked like he was going to say something so I quickly cut him off, waving my hand. "It's okay, I'm used to it. Renee and Phil go out a lot."

He eyed the house some more and turned back to me. "Would you…" he seemed unsure of asking. "Would you like to have dinner with me and my family?"

I was shocked that he would ask, most people would simply drop me off and be done with it. I started to lean out of the car. "No, it's okay. I wouldn't want to impose. I mean, you already drove me home."

"Come on Bella, Esme is a wonderful cook and there will be plenty of food. Don't worry."

He seemed pretty set on taking care of me. I glanced down at my clothes, noticing my inadequacy compared to all his nice things. "Let me change real quick, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be right here." He nodded.

I quickly closed the door and walked swiftly up the walk. I tried the door and found it locked, I searched the usual places for the key and came up empty. Not owning a key of my own, I walked over the window in the living room with a broken lock. It jimmied it open, horrified that I had to break into my own home. Once inside, I shuffled quietly, in case they were home. In my room, I changed into nicer clothes, a pair of black jeans and an orange blouse. As I ran a brush through my knotted hair, I went to the bathroom and washed my face.

The water in our house turns on with difficulty, squeaking and moaning then flying out of the tap. That was the noise that aroused the sleeping person in the room next door. I heard the bed creak and large boots hit the floor. I slammed off the water and dropped my brush as I turned out the light and dashed down the hall.

Heavy feet followed me as I hopped up on the window and was outside and in the car in record time. Phil hung out the window, waving his fist around and shouting in his ever-drunk state of being.

"Drive." I said quickly as I snapped my seat belt in place.

"Are you alright?" he asked as we pulled away. "What happened in there?"

"I woke the dragon out of it's den."

We didn't speak again the entire ride until we pulled up to a huge house and I oohed and awed.

We got out of the car and walked up the drive, I vaguely wondered if this was another dream. The front porch was as large as my room and the front door looked as expensive as all the furniture we have put together. He opened the door and welcomed me into his home.

A lovely woman, around her mid-twenties poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled. She disappeared for a moment then returned, coming at me with open arms.

"You must be Bella." She stepped back and took me in, looking at me with familiar, somehow sad eyes. "We've heard so much about you."

"This is Esme, my wife." He smiled as he said that and they looked like newly weds. "Esme, who's home, do you know?"

"Emmett and Rosalie are out but other than that, everyone's here." She smiled sweetly back at her husband. "I'll go get them."

As she turned, she saw there was no need, seeing as three people came down the stairs. The first was a short girl with black hair and who made walking look like dancing. Behind her, a tall blond boy who looked uncomfortable, as though he is dreading a bad event.

The two surprised me, Dr. Cullen and Esme look so young, they children look so old, around my age even.

"Bella, this is Alice." Esme gestured to the short girl. "And this is Jasper." She motioned towards the tall guy.

I heard light footsteps coming down the stairs as I said. "He looks like his dad."

They all laughed at this comment and I looked around, missing the punch line.

"We're all adopted." Alice corrected in a tinkling voice, smiling at my ignorance kindly.

I blushed brightly. "Uh, sorry, I just thought-"

Jasper waved his hand in dismissively. "It's okay, we get that a lot. It doesn't bother me, but it drives Rosalie nuts when people say we look alike." He chuckled, speaking in a light Southern drawl.

"But it's true, you guys look alike." A new voice entered the conversation, a familiar form to the words told this voice was familiar.

A tall, copper-haired boy came into view, hand on the wall by the stairs, looking like a model. His eyes met mine and brown collided with green.

I felt the world turn upside down and I felt something clench my heart and twist my stomach.

"Edward." The name whispered out between my lips and I clasped a hand over to keep the sweet taste of his name lingering on my lips.

He whispered something back but I didn't heard it through the rush in my ears. Tears had sprung to his eyes and he was sliding down the wall, loosing his model pose.

Dr. Cullen also sounded choked when he spoke. "Edward, this is Bella."

"Bella." He choked out as he took on the look of a man set ablaze. He then whispered something too quiet to be heard.

"My Bella."

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**A/N: Lots of Carlisle action (God I love that man). I can't wait to get working on chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Umano**

Chapter 3

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We stared into each others eyes for a few moments, him sitting on the floor, me standing in the doorway. I could have stood like that for the rest of eternity, we would be made into white marble statues so we could look at each other forever.

Our gazes were interrupted when someone suddenly burst through the door, knocking me a few feet forward. The unsuspected motion caused me to launch at the sofa with surprising velocity.

"WE WON!" a huge man barreled in the door, holding up a ticket, followed by a drop-dead gorgeous blond who has a scowl on her face. His fists shot up in the air in triumph, I wondered if he was on the football team for a moment.

I forgot that I was falling rather quickly. Mercifully I only made contact with the back of a large tan leather couch with a low back. The bad part of the placement of the couch was the placement of the couch. Almost as if planned, I flipped over the back. I landed as though I was sitting, except for my legs that were straight out, making hard contact with the wood table. A loud thud echoed in the silent house, I looked over sheepishly at the family whose house, within minutes of being there, I was trying to destroy.

All was still for a moment, then a flurry of motion happened all at once as if a cue was given that they could move freely about the house. The burly man who has burst through the door burst out laughing while Esme flitted her way to me and Dr. Cullen moved over to asses the damage to both his house and my person. Edward exploded across the room and was in the big guy's face, hissing.

"You really should be more careful. You could of hurt her." His eyes squinted in a way that was a death threat all itself.

I felt bad for Edward blaming my natural spazzy-ness on a guy who just walked into what I assumed was his house. "It was an accident."

He held up his hands like the police called him out. "Yeah, calm down Eddie. It was an accident after all. I mean, I didn't _know_ she was standing there, no one could have." He quickly backtracked when Edward's face continued to darken.

"Regardless." He tore his glare away from his prey to look at me with concerned eyes. His face seems to melt when he saw the bandages around my leg. His mood change made my head spin. He briskly walked over to me, kneeled by Dr. Carlisle. "Any damage?" he asked, like they had tag-teamed in the medical world before.

"I'm not sure, I think the cut on her shin has reopened, which is unfortunate. The healing will be slowed but the table seemed to survive the crash."

A few laughs and smiles cracked but Edward's face didn't change out of his worrying state. His throat bobbed up and down and his brow furrowed in concentration. "Do you need to re-bandage it?" his voice was tight, like he was trying not to cry.

"Hey, no need to worry. I feel fine." I interjected, not really wanting to meet with more medical supplies.

They continued their conversation like I didn't speak. "Yeah, we probably should. It would minimize scarring. That way she could also have some extra bandages for when she goes home."

"Let's do that then." Edward and Dr. Cullen stood and put their hands in their pockets in unison.

I began to giggle at the symmetry but was stopped short by Edward's gaze.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Bella." His face was stoic seriousness.

'Oops!' I thought and settled for smiling to myself, holding back more giggles.

"Come one, we'll help you up." Each of the men in front of me extended a hand towards me. "My study is upstairs; I have some medical stuff up there." Dr. Cullen waved his hand a little as if saying 'we don't have all day'.

I took their hands and stood then dropped them. I noticed Edwards' lingered as though it wanted to stand enlaced with mine. I looked up to meet his eyes but found him staring at the wall.

I followed the two men to the upstairs study. When I walked in, I felt in awe of the place. Was their entire house this magnificent? The tall walls were lined floor to ceiling with thick books; the titles all looked like serious research books, no light novels allowed here. The ceiling was round with little windows cut out, teasing those who look with little slices of the heavens. A thick carpet was laid out, the design making the room feel warm and homey. A dark wooded desk sat prominently near the edge of the room, a big rollie chair behind it. In the center of the room, a couple of large leather chairs sat, looking rather comfortable.

"Wow." I murmured. "I feel like I stepped into Beauty and the Beast."

They laughed and Edward escorted me to a chair in the center of the room while Dr. Cullen went to his desk to fetch medical supplies.

While Dr. Cullen was caring for my leg, the tall guy walked by the door, peering in, what he thought was surreptitiously, but was rather obvious.

"What was his name?" I whispered to Dr. Cullen.

"Emmett." Edward stood, crossing the room to go and engage in a conversation with him.

"Oh, hey Eddie! Fancy meeting you here." He rubbed the back of his head like a small child caught in with his hand in the cookie jar; which is pretty much what he was to Edward.

"Emmett, I swear to God and high hell if you ever pull something like that-" he began to hiss.

"Dude, you're overreacting. It _was_ an accident. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. I thought I proved that back in Alaska."

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe you're right. No, you are right, I'm just really nervous. I mean I just got her back and she doesn't remember me."

"She said your name."

"I'm in her homeroom."

"Was that on purpose?"

"I don't know, I know I didn't pull any strings to get in that class. But Esme and Carlisle-"

"Really miss her too." Emmett interrupted, seriousness etched on his face.

Edward looked up at him, then back in the room quickly, noticing that I was watching. "Excuse me." He said and walked back in the room. "How's she going?" he asked Dr. Cullen.

"Done, you'll be fine, the bleeding has stopped now." He smiled at me from his kneeling place on the floor.

"I thought I told you I was." I grumbled quietly, hoping he wouldn't hear me. But somehow both of them heard me and I blushed at my own rudeness. I muttered an apology and stood suddenly.

"Dinner's ready!" Esme called up the stairs.

"Let's go eat then." Edward held his arm out for me like a gentleman from the 1900s.

" 'kay." I took his arm shyly. I had a feeling this meant more than heading downstairs into his dining room. I stole a glance at him and saw his face glowing with pride as we descended the stairs. I stumbled a little and he caught me, rebalancing me as we walked. 'Oh,' I thought. 'I get it; he's helping me down the stairs.' I mentally face palmed myself for getting caught up in what I heard. The conversation between Edward and Emmett might not have been about me. Or at least that's what I told myself, knowing I'd ponder this later.

Downstairs in the dining room, Esme had set up a whole feast. Tonight, hamburgers were served. There must have been two dozen patties and buns to match. There were bowls with spoons filled with every condiment and vegetable you could every want. There were homemade French Fries and fruit salad, potato salad and macaroni salad. There glasses of water set out at each place as well as a glass of what looked like root beer.

"Everything looks great, Esme." Edward said beside me as he guided me to a seat at the table. He sat me with the big burley guy I now knew was Emmett to my left and him to my right.

The patties, buns, condiments and salads were passed out and everyone took their share. I eyed Emmett's plate, it barely held the three hamburgers, mounds of fries and all the salad he out on there.

He leaned over and whispered. "This is only round one."

I felt my jaw drop open at the comment. Esme giggled and held her hands out to the people on either sides of her. Everyone followed suit, Emmett and Edward held their hands out to and I looked at them.

"Bella, would you like to say grace with us?" Dr. Cullen looked at me expectantly.

"Wait, people do that in real life? I thought that was another family bonding thing." I said, once the words were out of my mouth I realized the ignorance.

"We say grace every night Bella." Alice told me quietly with wide eyes.

"Yeah, sorry." I fumbled for the guys' hands. I bowed my head and closed my eyes.

Esme started. "I would like to thank the Lord for the food that nourishes our bodies, our good health and the roof over our heads. I would also like to thank the Lord for allowing Bella to find her way into our house hold. I thank Him for keeping us all safe and well. Amen."

'Amen's scattered around the table and everyone started eating.

"So Bella, your family doesn't say grace?" Alice asked what I presumed was on everyone's minds.

"Alice, come on, that rude-" Edward started.

"No, it's okay." I interrupted him. "We don't eat dinner together ever, so we don't say grace." I shrugged like it didn't bother me that I always came home to an empty house most of the time. But compared to the alternative, an empty house seems great to me.

They exchanged glances and started eating. Conversation scattered across the table, none particularly interesting until a question was asked across the table.

Jasper looked at me until he caught my eye. "Bella, why were you in the hospital?"

My fork paused on its journey to my mouth then slowly returned to the plate. "Um, I had a run-in with Phil. He's not as nice as your dad." I smiled at Dr. Cullen. "I'm just fortunate that Dr. Cullen is such a great doctor."

"Thanks, but Carlisle please. Dr. Cullen is my father." He chuckled quietly at his own unknown joke.

I nodded in response.

Alice looked like she wanted to ask another question but was quickly silenced by a glare from Edward.

When dinner was rapped up, I thanked Esme for the meal then Esme invited me into the den for tea. My weak attempt to refuse was half-hearted; I really liked spending time with the Cullens.

Somehow, Edward and I were left alone in the beige den. I dug my toes into the dark brown carpet, unsure of what to say. I fiddled with my cup and Edward shifted in his seat. The conversation from the study bubbled up to the front of my brain. I tried to squash the thought, knowing that I was eavesdropping on a conversation that might not even be about me.

"Did I know you before?" I blurted.

He looked up, surprised at my question. "W-why?" he stuttered, tea cup jittering with him.

"I don't know. I heard you talking with Emmett in the hall and I wondered why I felt so connected to you when I first saw you." I blushed at what I was saying, unable to stop myself. "So I was thinking if I knew you in the last town I lived, maybe we were friends and I just don't remember but you do. And if so, I was hoping you'd tell me about my dad if you knew him." I looked up from the ripples in my tea and into his green eyes.

"I didn't know you." His voice sounded like he had a vice around his neck, he became the burning man I saw in the living room again. "What happened to your dad?" he asked as though he already knew the answer.

"He died in a car crash."

"Oh, that really sucks." He looked at his shoes, I could have sworn he was crying but I ignored it, not wanting to embarrass him.

"Yeah, he and my mom were having a fight and he wasn't watching the road and flew off the cliff on a sudden bend in the road. I went to the spot where they flew off and set up a memorial." I felt tears pool in my eyes and had the feeling that I was forgetting something. I decided to change the topic to take my mind off of less happy things. "So, how do you like Forks High School?"

He seemed to get himself together. "It's okay, I was home schooled by Esme and Carlisle up until now."

"Woah, cool!" I thought for a moment. "What's it like being home schooled?"

"It's a lot more personal, because the teachers are your parents and it's a lot quieter, too."

We laughed because the homeroom we shared never had a silent moment. "So, how's the social interaction in home school?"

He smiled a sad smile, his eye lost focus as he was delivered somewhere else in time. "I had friends and my siblings. I also had a girlfriend."

"Cool, what was she like?" I asked, suddenly wanting to know who else had shared this felling of awe at the creature in front of me.

"Her name was Lisa. She was the prettiest person I knew. She was modest but bold. She was the purest person I knew, always happy and making jokes and enjoying life. She was always soaking up the Arizona sun, drinking lemonade, that's how I met her. By a pool when everyone was inside with AC. She could be anything she wanted, I loved it about her, but that's also what split us up." He looked down at his feet again.

I felt compelled to know what happened to this girl. "Why did you guys break up? It sounds like you really loved her."

"I do." He looked into my eyes, searching for something. When he didn't find it, his eyes returned to the floor. "She ran away. Her parents died and she couldn't deal. The police haven't found her, until recently they haven't even gotten any leads."

"How did her parents die?"

"Car crash, off a cliff."

"Just like me."

His entire head flicked up, hope beaming for something to be there. I looked at him, puzzled by his actions. He sunk back into the chair he sat in, his head in his hands. He kept muttering: "Please remember. Please."

"Remember what?"

His face twisted up as if someone had just run a blade through him. Mercifully, Carlisle walked in the room, carrying a can of Sprite, popping the top and sipping lightly. We both look at him curiously, relieved that he broke the tight tension between us.

He shrugged. "I don't like tea."

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for waiting for this one, the next one might be a little slow too, I'm a little busy! Love Ya~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Umano**

Chapter 4

* * *

As I sat up in my bed, I noticed the quietness of the house. It was eerie, last night when I came home, nobody was there and this morning, it is also quiet. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and listened intently for signs of the two other people. Hearing nothing, I cautiously and silently went down the stairs. I ducked my head under the eave of the house and peered into the kitchen. No one was there or in the living room. This was odd. I walked into the kitchen again, noticing a note on the round table.

_Bella,_

_Phil and I went to the coast for the week. See you when we get back. We have a surprise for you!_

_Renee_

I looked at the note some more then put it back down. I shuffled over to the cabinet and made myself some cereal. While I was eating, I read the newspaper left over from Sunday. I scanned the weather and notice that clouds and rather chilly temperatures were ahead.

I went upstairs and prepared for my day. Once my backpack was loaded and my teeth were brushed, I head out the door. I looked up to see a shiny, silver Volvo pull up into the driveway next to mine. I saw Alice stick her head out the window and shout while waving wildly: "HEY BELLA! GET IN!" then to Edward: "Told you it was that one!" she put her body back into the car and Edward pulled out of my neighbor's driveway and into mine.

He smiled at me sweetly. "Hello." He said with his adorable implacable accent.

I smiled back. "Hello." I tried to imitate the way he said it but it came out sounding like a drunken slur. I blushed a little then questioned why he was here.

"We were in the neighborhood and Carlisle gave us a few directions that we got wrong." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh shut up, Edward. You are not smooth at _all_." Alice directed her eyes to me. "He begged Carlisle to tell him where you lived and then asked me to come, so then naturally Jasper came, and he did this so he doesn't come off looking…" she leaned forward and her eyes shifted back in forth like a spy clear the coast. "Desperate." She shrugged as she leaned back. "Which he totally is."

"Alice!" Edward twisted around in his seat to smack her leg.

I laughed and got in the car. "That's so cute Edward." I pinched his cheek lightly like a crazy aunt does to an unfortunate nephew.

He stared at me and blushed lightly. "Lets just get to school." He mumbled, embarrassed, starting the car up again.

"Hi Jasper." I said as I noticed the quiet male in the back. He nodded in response then resumed staring out the window.

When we arrived, Alice and Jasper spilt off in their own ways. Edward stood by me, shuffling his feet. "May I walk you to your locker?" he asked, unsure of what he was doing.

I nodded spastically. "Yeah, sure."

As we walked side by side, him lightly holding my hand, it felt like grade school again. The two of us are innocent, wanting nothing more than to spend time with each other. We reached my locker and I attempted to twist the locker open one-handed but that didn't work and I had to wrangle my hand from Edward's.

I slammed my locker shut and asked him if he needed to go to his locker. He shook his head no and we headed off to homeroom hand in shy hand.

When we walked in the room, almost all eyes were aimed in our direction. Whispers dispersed around the room, rumors were born and confirmed. Edward ignored them as he pulled my chair out for me. I sat and glanced around the room. Jessica looked like someone had just told her wet dogs attacked and slept in her closet while Mike was eyeing Edward almost green with envy. Angela remained passive while Ben's mouth hung open in disbelief. Eric at the front of the class seemed envious of everyone who had social contact so I ignored his reaction. Tyler and cronies were off in their own world, oblivious to what was going to go down. Jessica's eyes almost seemed to disappear and she was about to say something vile but the teacher walked in, and class started.

Edward had walked me to all of my morning classes and now gave me a light peck on my cheek and went to retrieve his lunch from the line. I had my brown paper sack at a lonely table near the large window looking out onto the sprawling football field. I was opening my strawberry yogurt when Jessica sashayed to my table.

"How in the hell did you land Cullen?" her hand perched on her hips, diva position as I like to call it.

I shrugged, not responding to her question.

"Well, stay away from him." Her head jutted out like a turtle angrily examining what disturbed its home on its back. "He's mine."

I look at her with disbelief. "Do you know that you have a boyfriend?"

She snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Or do you guys just play mommy and daddy in the dark?"

Her mouth hung open indignantly. She sputtered for something to say but ended up looking like a fish out of water.

"Hey." Edward returned, tray in tow. He sat beside me, eyeing Jessica. "Um, are you two friends?" he whispered.

I smiled at his ignorance. "No, but apparently you are."

He shot me a 'what-the-fuck' look and eyed her once more, leaning into my ear to whisper again. "I don't think so." I giggled at his comment.

"Why are you guys ignoring me?" Jessica made her presence rather known. "And stop whispering!"

"Jessica, go away, you have a boyfriend." I said tiredly.

Well then," she turned to face the table she normally sat at. "HEY MIKE!"

"WHAT?" he yelled back.

"IT'S OVER BETWEEN US!" she yelled.

"What?" his voice cracked and he stood up, slamming his hands on the table.

"There." She stated like she didn't just break the heart of some guy and shimmied her way into the seat next to Edward.

He eyed her again and turned back to me. "So Bella, what're you doing on Saturday?" he winked at me and mouthed 'play along'.

"Why, nothing Edward dearest." I tilted my head and blinked rapidly. It was supposed to be flirty but I think it came out looking like I was having a seizure.

He raised an eyebrow but continued our conversation. "Want to come over to my house?"

Behind him I saw Jessica's jaw drop. "But why don't we ever play at my house, Edward?" I asked with faux innocence.

He grinned slowly and leaned in so our cheeks touched. "Because Bella sweetie, we can't make hot passionate love at your house and I've been horny all week." He said loud enough for Jessica to hear.

My face flushed seventeen different shades of red as I attempted to gather my train of thought. I came up with a dry mouth and a lot of thoughts I didn't really want in the middle of the cafeteria.

"SLUT!" Jessica stood, pointing an accusing finger at me, mind you, not Edward. "You fucking WHORE!" she emphasized all the bad words loudly.

"What?" Edward spun around with the same outraged face as when Emmett sent me flying into a couch. I could tell this would end very horribly if I let Edward attack the stupid brunette.

I also stood suddenly, shouting the first thing that came to my mind. "I can't believe you would try to seduce Edward in the parking lot!" I imitated her pointing finger.

"What? I never…" she looked around the room to see if anyone believed her, making her look even guiltier.

Whispers went around and a few murmurs could be heard.

"It seems like something she would do."

"It happened to me too!"

"Jeez, what a slut, it's pretty obvious Cullen's with Swan."

Her eyes began to tear up and she dashed out of the large room, wailing all the way.

"Way to go, Swan." One of the football players patted me on the back with approval.

Edward looked at me disapprovingly. "Wasn't that a little mean?"

"Nope." I popped my 'p'.

* * *

The next day at school, buzz was thick in the air. Rumors were on the run and everyone was swapping ideas for the long weekend coming up.

I went to the Cullens' for dinner on Sunday, today is now Thursday and Renee and Phil haven't returned from the beach escapade. All week, Edward and I have been hanging out and I feel like I know him better than I should. When I look at him, I feel butterflies flitter in my stomach and my head gets giddy. It's like a dream to be around him; when he leaves, it's like the dewy feeling of waking up at first in the morning and I bask in the afterglow of being around him. Being around Edward Cullen is my reason for living, there's no way he could just leave my life and I would be okay with it.

I snuck glances at him all throughout homeroom, uneasy for reasons I didn't know. I just felt like something bad was going to happen. Whether or not it involved him I didn't know either but I knew that he was the best thing in my life and all my best things have been taken from me. Now that I think about it, the precluded event probably wouldn't involve Edward at all. I was just nervous, or so I said.

After homeroom finished, I darted out of the room, not waiting for Edward. If something bad were to happen, I didn't want to be around him.

I mistakenly looked back at him and saw he was confused, mentally checking to see if he said anything wrong in the few sentences we exchanged. His lips parted as if he was going to yell for me to wait but I ran. I ran like the room was on fire. I ran to my large truck which I drove to school this morning in, sitting on the hood and started to think. I was overreacting, I knew that but I didn't want Edward to fall victim to what went on with me. I was too happy around him, something had to ruin my fun.

Unknowingly, I sat there until the lunch bell rang and the older kids came out to their vehicles. Edward exited the doors and out of my peripheral vision, I saw a boy walk up to me. Edward walked over to his car, looking at me intently. He paused with his hand on the door handle.

The boy had started talking to me but I zoned out from the boy in front of me. Instead, I watch Edward's lips intently, waiting for him to speak first. As I watch, I notice the smooth surface and the graceful lines and contours that make up the subject of my watching. The two blushing pilgrims separate and a few choice words were mouthed.

'My house'

The boy next to me was still talking, a speech I find well-rehearsed and somewhat familiar to me, my mind wonders away to a time when I could remember these words.

_ Two small children swing in separate buckets at a play park that came straight out of a story book. Colorful slides and tire swings, monkey bars and stairs to climb all remain in the background as the small children chat idly, simply enjoying the summer sun._

_ In the foreground, a small boy with too much hair that's too long gets up to push the little brown-haired girl higher. He had asked her here under the name of hanging out but they both know it was really a date. They laugh and smile in the way that only little kids can, so innocent of the world around them. _

_ The boy returns to his swing and starts pumping higher, trying to catch up with the girl. The small girl arcs higher than ever before, she floats as the swing flies forward and then screams in joy as she laughs her way to Earth and the process starts again. The boy begins to catch up and the girl shows off to him, releasing her tiny hands from the rubber coated chains._

_ "Look Ed! I'm flying!" she stuck her arms out like a bird and the little girl's swing returned back without her in it. Both faces changes from euphoric to shock in a few seconds. Her body fell to the ground and a sickening crunch was sounded._

_ The little boy jumped off of his own swing, tripping on his way to his friend. "Izzy!" he shouted, rushing to her._

_ She was crying and her leg was bent oddly. His attempts to pacify her were futile and she kept wailing._

_ "Izzy, no more flying!" he shouted at her in frustration. "Flying is for birds only!" He hugged her, out of things to try. "You can't keep hurting yourself; you mean too much to me." He whispered._

I return from my focused daze when my ears selectively choose to these words.

"… we could go to a park or something. Well, what I'm trying to say is, will you go out with me?" some random boy shuffled from foot to foot nervously, glancing up at her from time to time.

"Would you excuse me?" I asked without looking at him and jumped off the hood.

"Wait, what about this week-" I did not hear the rest of his words for I had slammed her car door. I was backed out of the parking lot before he even knew that he just got rejected.

Speeding to catch up with Edward, I pushed harder on the gas pedal. Somewhere in the midst of things, it had begun pouring. I cursed the weather and turned my wipers on. I squinted as my windows also began to fog up; I started fiddling with the knobs under the radio.

My head snapped up as I heard a blaring horn. I shot back in my seat and gripped the wheel, swerving out of the way. Glanced up and realized I had run a red light. My back wheels fish tailed and I felt the truck spin 180 degrees. I slammed on the brakes and shut my eyes, hoping to high heaven I would make it out of this alive.

My wheel skidded and all motion stopped. I slowly eeked open my eyes, one lid at a time. I was stopped across three lanes, blocking traffic. Miraculously, everyone had stopped and I was sitting in the middle of the road, blocking lunch time traffic.

I could still feel my heart thudding in my ears when I let up on the brake and applied some gas. I steered to the edge on the road and turned off the car. I gently rested my head against the wheel and commenced bawling like a sniveling child. Letting the shock of the quick event get to me.

After a few minutes, a knocking was sounded on my window. I rolled my head to face the window, greeted with the worried face of my angel. I pushed open the door and h quietly told me to scoot over. I did as he said and he started my truck.

"Edward, what are you-" I was cut off from my confusion with sharp words.

"Emmett came and picked up my car. I'm driving you to my house to get you checked out by Carlisle." I didn't question how that worked. "Bella, what were you thinki-"

I laid my head on his shoulder. "I know Ed, no flying for me."

He was significantly shut up then. After a while he finally spoke. "Do you remember?" he asked quietly.

"Only little parts, like pieces of a jig saw puzzle. I feel like I have all different puzzles and I'm trying to fit them all into one picture. What am I trying to remember?"

He nodded and kept driving, ignoring my question. We reached his house and helped me out of the car.

"Hey, you guys finally made it!" Emmett shouted from the garage where both a wet Volvo and Jeep were parked.

Edward looked seriously into his eyes and spoke with grave seriousness. "She's remembering."

Emmett's face held shock and he began bombarding Edward with questions. "When? Why? Does she know? What'd she say?" he paused for a moment. "Does she remember us?"

Edward shook his head sadly. "No."

Emmett's face fell and his arms stayed limply at his sides.

I was whisked inside and sat on a couch. Edward fetched Carlisle and Esme hung around me, worried. Alice sat by me and held my hand assuring, telling me it was going to be alright. Everyone asked Edward a million questions a minute and he tried his best to answer all of them.

None of this affected me or was even noticed. I was stuck in a daze, thinking on something Emmett had said earlier.

"_Does she remember us?_"

What did he mean?

* * *

**A/N: Hello, me again! I've been trying to update as much as possible, but it's hard to be steady so you guys get whatever I throw at you. I hope you guys liked the little bits of drama I threw in there! Please review and tell me what you guys thought!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Umano**

Chapter 5

* * *

_I opened my eyes, my vision blurred for a reason I don't know. People buzzed around me like flies. My mouth felt like someone had put an old sock in it and my head was pounding. I tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by Carlisle._

"_You need to relax." A nurse told me._

"_She has a lot of head trauma!" I heard someone shout to another medical staff. "Get some…"_

_When I looked around the room, I saw the weirdest sight. Jasper was in baby green nurse scrubs and Emmett was wearing something similar to what Carlisle wore. Both of them were hovering near me, doing medical things._

_Days flashed by and I was sitting in front of Edward in a large room on a couch, I was talking to him but nothing made sense to me. He was dressed in a navy blue suit and a tie, writing on a clipboard. I kept repeating something about Renee killing Charlie._

'_Who's Charlie?' I thought while watching myself._

_The image swirled another few days and I saw Esme slowly try to take me into a large white building. I looked at it and shuddered. Suddenly, I broke away from Esme and started running. I hopped into the truck that transported me here and I was on the run._

I opened my eyes once again and saw I was back in the Cullens' living room, lying on a couch. I sat up slowly and looked around cautiously. I saw all of them dressed casually, not like in the dream I had. I shook my head, trying to dispel the images I saw. I swallowed and tried to make sense of what I saw. Deep down, I knew it was true but I didn't want to believe it.

Everyone was looking at me intently, waiting for a reaction. Carlisle was the first to speak.

"Bella, are you alright?" his voice was cautious.

I laughed darkly. "You seem to be asking me that rather often." I rubbed my eye and looked out a window. It was dark outside; I whirled around, looking for a clock.

10:30

"How long was I out?" I exclaimed, wildly looking back at the people scattered around me.

"About five hours." Carlisle was still acting cautious. "Look, Bella-"

"I have to get home!" I threw off the thin blanket that was covering my legs. "Edward, will you drive me home? I'll get my truck another time." I shook my head, afraid of the anger Phil was going to express all over my face.

He gripped my shoulders. "Bella, you don't have to go home. You can stay here for the night. You just suffered a traumatic event and most people suffer mentally from it. You should rest."

I stared at him strangely, feeling like I'd heard those words many times over before. "Why did you call me Izzy when we were little?" I said this knowing what the reaction would be.

A series of gasps could be heard around the room. Edward simply studied the carpet and refused to meet my eyes.

"I'll drive you home." Edward muttered in defeat, shuffling towards the door.

I felt bad, like I'd stuck a sensitive nerve of his with a metal bat, but I needed time to think. Regardless of who is home, and who isn't.

When we pulled up in my driveway after a silent car ride, I undid my seat belt and quietly apologized to Edward.

"I'm sorry, I just need to think."

He pulled me over and smashed his lips to mine. "Don't fly too high." Was all he said as I got out of the car and walked to the front door. I watched him get out of my truck and into the Jeep following us, all the time his head was hung low. I opened the door as quietly as possible, hoping not to wake those who might be home.

I walked in, half expecting what was going to happen. Inside, a monster waited for me, lurking in the dark. It sprung and kicked and hit; it hurt of course, but inside of me hurt more. All I could see was the look on Edward's face when I got out of the car; he looked like someone had told him they killed his mother then punched him in the gut.

After Phil's rampage was finished, I laid on the dirty hardwood floor of my room, curled up and cried. I didn't cry because I was being beaten, I didn't cry because I hurt, or because my mother didn't stop him, I cried because I am hurting the only people who care about me.

I am the monster.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke slowly, my head was pounding and my back was sore from lying on the floor all night. I took a quick glance at the clock, half past nine. That meant Phil and Renee were at work. I stood and stretched, put on a long sleeve sweater, then made my way downstairs to make myself breakfast.

I was putting some eggs on the stove when the phone rang. I picked it up, cradling it between my ear and shoulder, ignoring the pain that action held.

"Hello?" I asked half expecting Edward's sweet voice to answer me like it had the last few days. I cringed when I remembered his sad face.

"Hi Bella, this is Renee! I forgot to tell you this last night in all the 'commotion'." So that's what she called it. I raised my scabbed eyebrows at this. "But Phil and I got married!"

I almost dropped the phone when I heard her voice and not Edward's but when she told me that news, I dropped the phone like a hand would crawl out and strangle me. I could hear her shouting my name from the receiver on the floor.

All of a sudden, Edward barged in the back door. I looked at him like he had a balloon tortoise wrapped around his head, clutching his ears for life. He quickly assessed the situation and turned off the burner then picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he asked into it. He nodded a few times and assured Renee then hung up, putting it back on the hook.

"Bella?" he asked me quietly, wrapping his arms around me.

I looked at him for a moment. "How…?"

"Alice." Somehow that explained the whole situation to me, Alice is weird. ""Bella, are you okay? I tried the front door but it was locked. Then I heard a crash and I came back here."

"She did it." I murmured to myself more than to him.

"She did what Bella?"

"She married him."

"Who did, sweetie?"

"Renee married Phil." The words tasted like vomit in my mouth, stinging the back of my throat.

Edward was a bit baffled at this statement. "I'm sorry." Was all he could come up with to say.

I slipped out a small sliver of my pent up anger. "She married the fucking bastard!"

He just held my waist tighter and nuzzled his face into the base of my neck.

I felt tears slip down my face and I realized what that meant for me. "It makes me sick." I spat the words at the orange kitchen wall decorated with posters of events we wouldn't go to and things we couldn't afford. I am now legally bonded to the man whose existence is the bane of my life. I sighed and leaned my head against Edward's shoulder, letting the tears fall.

"Bella," his grip on me tightened. "What does Phil do to you." Each word was ground out from between his teeth in more of a statement than a question. He was trying to control his anger and I honored him for it; for asking and for caring.

I was silent for a moment, unsure of whether or not I want to answer the question. To me, it would be like admitting that this was happening. It would wake me from my delusion, a place where I could pretend none of this was happening to me.

"Bella." My name came out as a warning, not a plead. I was testing him and I knew it.

"He beats me." The words fell out of my mouth and hung in the air like dirty laundry, which essentially, they were. I looked at him timidly, afraid of his reaction.

His eyes were squeezed shut, holding back tears that threatened to fall. So many emotions twisted up in his stomach. His brow shoved together and his eyes snapped open. "I'm gonna be sick." He ran towards the bathroom, ralphing into the porcelain bowl, emptying his stomach of the lunch he had eaten earlier.

I followed him in, rubbing his back soothingly, at a loss for anything else to do.

He finally sat back after a while, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You good?" I asked.

"Yeah." He went to the sink to rinse his mouth vigorously and repeatedly.

I watched him as he gathered his things. "I hope you're not offended but, I'd like to go home. I'm not feeling so well."

I shook my head. "No, no. Go rest. I understand, it makes me want to throw up too." I joked lamely, laughing limply.

He fixed me with a hard glare. "Don't joke about it and don't hurt yourself between now and the next time I see you, okay?" He searched my eyes for the answer to all his questions and worries.

"I won't, I promise." I smiled weakly at him.

"Okay." He leaned in for a kiss but thought better of it and quickly pecked my forehead and drove off.

I watched him go and the feeling I had a few days ago return. This time I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. I shut and locked the door with the feeling I was being watched.

* * *

It is now Monday and I still haven't shaken the mal feeling yet. I can't seem to figure it out. So I've been hyper-alert ever since Edward left my house. Not even the newlyweds have bothered me, feeling something off about me. But this works all too well with their attempts to spend entire days in their bedroom. I don't know what the difference is between last week and this week for them, but it keeps them out of my hair.

I sat, waiting for third period to start, tapping my finger absently on my notebook. Today was fairly ordinary and nothing special had happened until the teacher called me to the front of the room. He asked me to take a packet of updates to the secretary for the monthly bulletin. I agreed and little did I know that was the beginning to my undoing.

I picked up the papers and took the to the office. The secretary pointed me into the backroom full of boxes. A small box found its way under my foot and I landed head-first on the metal table that was holding more boxes. I grabbed on the edge of the table and it flipped over onto me, sending the papers inside the boxes flying. I was buried under boxes and papers of all sorts, I heard someone enter the room and scream. I opened my eyes to see red, I wriggled my hand from its smooshed place next to my side ad gingerly touched my forehead. I looked at my fingertips and saw blood. I laid my head back down and tried to gather myself for a minute. Above me, I heard someone sending boxes flying, desperately trying to find me, fighting the masses of paper products to do so.

My vision blurred at the edges and I idly wondered what all of this was. A sheet of paper resting against my face held number typed all over it but none of it made sense to me.

I was shocked by light when someone had finally found my body beneath papers. They gasped and pulled me up, I didn't recognize the person but that didn't mean much in my current state of mind.

My head nodded as I decided now is a great time to take a nap.

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly to the world of white I was beginning to get used to. I blinked into a bright light.

"What idiot put florescent blubs directly above the bed?" I asked myself aloud, putting a hand over my eyes, feeling the bandages wrapped around my forehead.

I heard a chuckle from my right and a sigh from my left.

"Turn them off." I heard Carlisle say.

Mercifully the blindly lights were turned off and my pupils dilated quickly, white and silver stars splashing across my vision. I blinked rapidly then took in my surroundings. Carlisle is to my right and Edward to my left, holding my hand. I smiled at both of them and gave Edward's hand a squeeze, then directed my attention to the man at the end of the bed. He's bracing himself on the bars with both hands, leaning forward. A creepy grin crawls across his face, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth. His faux-tanned skin crinkles and his skin looks too tight. His eyebrows are waxed and his hair is greased.

"Hello Bella." He sneered. "Remember me?"

Edward went still as he clutched my hand tighter, a frown graced his face, displaying his anger.

I looked at Edward, silently asking him 'Should I?', he shook his head 'No'. I studied the man once again. "No."

He looked down, then suddenly snapped his head back up, his eyes staring into mine. "I guess that's too bad." He tiled his head as he said this, adding to his creepy factor.

Carlisle became statue still while Edward shot up in his chair. "You can't do this!" he shouted.

"I can." The sleazy man laughed maniacally.

I had a thought that this was my bad feeling.

I hate it when I'm right.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this one is coming to a close. Maybe one or two more chapters. Thank you all for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Umano**

Chapter 6

* * *

I looked back and forth between Edward and Carlisle. "What's happening?" I looked at Edward again. "What can't he do?"

He just looked down, fiddling his thumbs. I looked to Carlisle who was sitting there gravely. Finally, I looked to the man at the end of the bed.

"Who are you?" I asked, wondering who could turn happy Carlisle to stone and make Edward a nervous wreck.

He smiled at me. "Al Richard."

I gasped as the colors before my eyes swirled and changed.

* * *

_"Hey Al! We got a wild one here!" some faceless meat-head shouted, holding me back while I was thrashing madly, attempting to escape his hold._

_ Al walked up to me, grabbing my chin. He sneered and shoved a stinky grin in my face, showing off grimy yellow-brown teeth. "Well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" he turned my face from side to side, then eyed my body. "She'll be a best seller. Feisty always sells well." He disgusting sneer seemed to grow larger._

_ "Yeah." The faceless meat-head agreed, stupidity obvious in the tone of his voice._

_ I snapped at the hand resting on my cheek, growling through my barred teeth._

_ "Pack her up with the others." Al spat as he slapped my face none too gently._

_ I was thrown roughly into the back of a dirty white van. Inside sat three other girls, equally frightened and looking grungy. Closest to my right was a tall blond that I recognized as Rosalie, Alice whimpering next to her. On my left, a red-head sat unconscious. I stood in thee doorway a second before Rosalie busted past me, attempting to escape with Alice hot on her heels. I turned and followed, punching the first guy I found in the face._

_ We ran and ran but the dread set in when we heard the van start up, knowing we couldn't out run it. Dashing onto a small side road, we cut through peoples' back yards, looping around to head in the most direct route away from the van. We came out on a wide empty gravel road._

_ All three of us broke out in giggles thinking that we had lost them. Silence fell over us when we heard the familiar rumble of a rickety van and took off again. The van sped up and was coming up fast behind us. Two men were hanging out of the back doors, waving sadistically at us._

_ The van was catching up and was not ten feet away from us. We laid on the last of our energy in an attempt to get free. I could see a hand wave out directly behind my head, catching my hair. Grubby fingers clutch tightly at my hair, pulling suddenly._

_

* * *

_

"Bella, Bella, BELLA!" I heard Edward shouting at me, gripping my hand tightly. His body trembled and concern rolled off of him in waves, a panicked look in his eyes.

"Shh." I put my hand up and return to my thoughts.

He shoots me a bewildered look but sits back in his chair, watching me intently.

* * *

_I fell to the ground hard and rolled a few feet. The hand on my head had pulled out a few stands of hair, stinging my head. I looked up from the ground just in time to see Alice and Rosalie jerked into the back of the van by the two men hanging out. Their faces were shocked and scared._

* * *

"YOU!" I exclaim, pointing my finger at the man at the end of the bed.

Carlisle sighed, shoulders slumping in relief. "Good, you remember him. Now, Bella, do you remember Edward and I?"

I ignored Carlisle and his eager look and continued to glare at Al. "What happened to Alice and Rosalie?"

He shrugged, smile with faux innocence. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know what happened; now tell me the truth." I spat.

Edward and Carlisle were looking back and forth between Al and I, obviously confused by the words we were exchanging.

"Bella, do you remember me?" Edward leaned forward in his seat, also eager to hear my answer.

I looked at his and furrowed my brow. "Well, kind of; I remember sitting on a couch telling you about someone named Charlie." I had a feeling he was expecting another answer and that I had let him down.

Edward downcast his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose like he does whenever life tries to throw a fast one at him. His eyes squinted shut. "Anything else?" He sounded as though he was dangling from the edge of a cliff by a flimsy twig and was questioning what else fate had in store for him.

"No." I responded immediately, curt with my answer. I watched as Edward metaphorically fell from his cliff. I was eager to hear what Al had to say for himself.

"What about me?" Carlisle asked as hope glimmered in his eyes for a fraction of a second, quickly squashed by a voice of reason.

"You have always been my doctor, Carlisle." I smiled at him.

His face fell as well and his stature closely resembled Edward's. "What about the others?"

"Let's see…" I thought for a moment then spoke slowly, waiting to see if someone would correct me. "Emmett and Jasper were… nurses?" I said this as though it was a question, unsure of what the boys' green scrubs meant in my flashback.

"Close, they're intensive care assistants that help restrain the wilder patients at the New York Institute for the Criminally Insane." He eyed my warily, watching my reaction carefully.

I glanced between the two of them quickly, barely looking at Al. "Okay." I said slowly, knowing the name sounded familiar, but from where, I wasn't sure.

I saw Al's gripping the bars at the foot of the bed tightly, biting his lips as though he wanted to say something.

I looked between Edward and Carlisle a few more times then asked cautiously. "What does all of this have to do with me?"

"Well, Bella…" Carlisle paused and I looked back at Edward, who hadn't moved at all.

"YOU WERE A PATIENT THERE!" Al spewed like a volcano would erupt after waiting for many centuries.

I felt my mouth fall open and my left eye twitch, then close as my world fell out from beneath me.

* * *

_"How are you feeling this morning?" Jasper asked as he brought in my daily dose of medications._

_ "Fine, how's it going with Alice?" I asked with the full knowledge that he had a sweet spot for her._

_ He shuffled his feet and smiled lightly, his expression of happiness showed in the way her face lit up. "She doing good." He nodded uselessly with his statement._

_ I smiled in return to his. "Good." I said, contented to know that my friend was doing well._

_ I looked back up at me, rejoining the world once again. "Dr. C put in another medication, the little blue one." He pointed at the little cocktail of drugs sitting before me, accompanied by a tall glass of water._

_ I picked it up and examined it between my thumb and fore finger. "What's this one for?" I asked, wondering what else they wanted to put me on._

_ He shrugged. "He said it was something new that he thought would help control your… outbursts." He said the last word with caution, not wanting to set me off._

_ On most days I would mess with him and pretend like I was angry, but today I felt like something was off. I eyed him for a moment and questioned the truth in his statement but brushed it off and knocked back all my little capsule-ed buddies. I finished off the water and returned the tray to Jasper, noticing an acidic bubbly feeling in my stomach._

_ "Jasper?"_

_ "Yeah?" _

_ "What did Dr. C say where some possible side effects?" I asked, wondering if being in the bathroom all day would be the effective way to keep me in control. I placed a worried hand over my stomach, creasing my brow, conveying to Jasper that I wasn't feeling well._

_ "I don't know, he didn't say." He turned to me warily and checked my temperature with the back of his hand. "You feel a little warm, should I go and get the doctor?"_

_ "Umm…" The feeling in my stomach clenched all my guts and a bright light flashed before my eyes. I reached out and grasped the nearest object I could find, Jasper's wrist, and squeezed. My head reeled and I felt the world spin at an alarming rate. The bright light continued to flash but changed to flashing red, I lost myself in this overwhelming feeling of rage._

_ The last thing I heard was Jasper call for Emmett._

_The next time I woke up, I was being strapped into my favorite white coat by Emmett and Jasper. I feel a little dizzy and my head lolls in circles, my eyes not focusing on anything. That is until I see a familiar blond enter the room, followed by my black-haired friend. I sit up straight and hold my head still, alerted that she is in the room._

_ "I guess you really are crazy." She said in a tone that spelled out her feelings for me; angry as hell._

_ I bowed my head, knowing the position I was in said more than I could say with words. "Hey Rose." I murmured to myself. And without looking up, I knew I'd only get a glare in return. She hadn't forgiven me and I knew it, she still thinks I left them and won't forget what happened to her and Alice. The scoff I heard confirmed this, she was still as angry as the day it happened._

_ "Hey Emmet, what'd she do?" Alice asked politely while trying to distract Rose and I at the same time._

_ Emmett gave out a booming laugh. "She was kicking Jasper's butt!"_

_ I looked over, not remember doing such an act. Jasper was looking at me with a mix of concern and anger, his left eye already bruising and swelling, along with various other bruises and scratches all over his body._

_ 'Sorry.' I mouthed. Jasper nodded in return, knowing I had no consciousness during my outbursts. I widened my eyes as I noticed two rather faint hand marks around his neck._

_ Just as I opened my mouth to speak again, the door burst open revealing two men entering the room with purpose. Al's stomp turned into a saunter as he saw Rosalie in the room, Emmett noticed this and clenched his fists tightly on the buckles at my back. Carlisle entered with an air of grace, like normal, commanding the attention of everyone in the room._

_ "What went wrong here?" Al shouted all red in the face, pointing a grubby finger at the two men at my sides. "Why weren't you guys doing your jobs? You two are fi-"_

_ "I believe she reacted badly to the new medication you gave her." Jasper spoke up, looking at Carlisle._

_ Carlisle's eyebrows rose. "Why do you say that?"_

_ "Well, she asked about the side effects after she had taken it. She was feverish and looked on the verge of vomiting until something in her demeanor changed suddenly and she began attacking me." Jasper explained calmly._

_ "Hmm, I could have sworn that would have worked well for her. Al, where did you say you got that?" Carlisle shifted his gaze to the man next to him._

_ He shrugged with his whole body. "The pharmacy lady recommended it."_

_ Carlisle frowned. "Well, don't take her advice again. Now, Bella let me see your pupils…"_

_ I looked over his shoulder just in time to see Al grinning like an idiot while muttering something along the lines of:_

_ "Perfect, she reacted just how I want."_

_

* * *

_

I blinked my eyes back open to the present, noting in my brain not to keep dazing out like that. I took in my surroundings once again and noticed Carlisle talking very sternly to Al about his rudeness. I looked at Edward who had taken up my hand and was rubbing it like a worry stone.

I ran my thumb over his and smiled as sweetly as I could, letting it reach my eyes as I showed him the happiness I felt around him without words. He replied to my silent message with as much emotion as I had put into mine.

"You scared me, blacking out like that." He whispered, refusing to look at anything but my eyes.

I looked down at our hands, now intertwined and connected at the fingers. "Edward, is there something else I'm supposed to remember about you?"

He fidgeted for a second, looking as though he was debating whether or to tell me something important. He shoved his unoccupied hand into his pocket and fingered something in there. He slowly pulled the contents of his pocket with his hand wrapped around it. I leaned forward unconsciously, wanting to know what was in his hand. He slowly uncurled his fingers and dropped the little object into my hand. I gasped quietly as I found my eyes glued to the little thing. Tears welled in my eyes and I felt my heart swell.

"Oh my God, Edward." I whispered in disbelief, raising a hand over my mouth.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, sorry it took so long to get this up! It was kind of awkward to write, but I'm happy this wrapping up and that all of you are so faithful!**


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, sorry I haven't posted in so long; I dropped off the face of the earth for a little while. I hope everyone is still interested in this story, but incase you forgot, a little review is always good.

* * *

**I looked down at our hands, now intertwined and connected at the fingers. "Edward, is there something else I'm supposed to remember about you?"**

**He fidgeted for a second, looking as though he was debating whether or to tell me something important. He shoved his unoccupied hand into his pocket and fingered something in there. He slowly pulled the contents of his pocket with his hand wrapped around it. I leaned forward unconsciously, wanting to know what was in his hand. He slowly uncurled his fingers and dropped the little object into my hand. I gasped quietly as I found my eyes glued to the little thing. Tears welled in my eyes and I felt my heart swell.**

**"Oh my God, Edward." I whispered in disbelief, raising a hand over my mouth.

* * *

**

**Umano**

Chapter 7

* * *

My fingers gently grasped what was in my hand. A dainty sparkling jewel, embezzled in a white gold ring, glittered in my hand, it weighed virtually nothing but held the weight of the world in mean to me. My hand fluttered to cover my gaping mouth. Tears sprung to my eyes as memories flooded into my brain.

_In a large room, w__hite flower arraignments, accented by little pink roses and baby's breath, cover ever flat surface and ribbons dangle from the ceiling, draping gracefully in gentle arcs sailing across the room. Mahogany pews line up like little children ready to march out to recess. In the neat pews, stands everyone I've ever known, waiting for my decent down the isle at a slow pace. All eyes are on me and I feel the heat of the stares rush to my face. I continue to survey the people surrounding me, shifting from one foot to the other; I take my fathers hand and begin my walk, frantically searching for my groom._

_He is waiting at the end of the isle, dressed exquisitely and smiling like he has the world in his eyes. When our eyes meet, I feel like I'm home and I know that I could travel the world with him, everywhere from exotic upside-down places to our backyard, and I would be safe knowing that he loves me._

I look into the eyes of the man sitting to my right. He had stuck with me no matter what. I remembered that once I was mentally stable, I began to see him outside of the sessions that we had inside the institution. We fell madly in love once there was no setting of professionalism needing to be kept up. We were inseparable, moving in with each other after the first month of dating. After that, he quickly proposed and promised me the world.

"Bella?" he looked at me with reluctant expectancy. "Are you back? Do you remember?"

My voice was trembling with the emotion pent up over all the years I couldn't remember. "Edward." his voice rolled off of my tongue in a million different ways, sounded like a precious prayer than a name. "How could I forget?" my hand gently grazed his cheek as tears of his own began to fall.

"Bella." he chocked out, throat tight with relief. "Bella, Bella." he repeated my name like a mantra, cling to the word. His finger fumbled for a moment, then regained their smoothness as he slid the little ring back into its rightful place on my ring finger, glinting in the light.

"Edward." I enjoyed the sweet shape of his name on my lips, knowing I was saying it with purpose, unlike before when I only had the impression of just meeting.

"Well, isn't this sweet? They're back together again, too bad it won't last." Al made himself a rude reminder of the other topic of conversation.

My eyes shifted quickly to him, frowning at the disruption.

"We can talk later." Edward suggested hopefully, telling me in not so many words that he'd still be there for me after this.

Al looked at Carlisle with defiance. "Looks like she's remembering." He drew out the word as though speaking to a child. "Too bad that's too late and too little."

I looked at Carlisle, once again confused. "What?" I asked, knowing we'd be returning to a conversation that I didn't understand.

Carlisle looked at me with sad eyes and spoke, directing his words at Al. "Isn't this enough though? She's showing improvement."

"Please." Edward pleaded, moving to stare at Al as well.

"What?" I asked, though again it seemed as though my words were lost in the three-way staring contest. "Will someone explain this to me?"

"Yeah Carlisle," Al sneered. "Why don't you explain the situation to Bella?"

Carlisle looked like he was going to retort, but was ultimately defeated. "Bella…"

"Carlisle, no." Edward protested. "If we can just give her more time, she might remember more, the hallucinations could go away, she might get-"

"What hallucinations?" I asked. "Am I still crazy?"

The men on either side of me looked at me with pity. "Well, Bella, um… yes." Edward said with difficulty.

Carlisle sucked in a deep breath. "Why don't we start from the beginning, son."

"OH! This is going to be good!" Al shouted as he grabbed a chair and plopped himself in the seat, eyes eager for something.

I looked back at Edward and waited for him to start his story.

"Uh, okay." He sighed, knowing there's no way he could convince the others to wait. "So, you know you were admitted to the New York Institution for the Criminally Insane, right?" I nodded and he continued. "Well, you were admitted because you would black out and maim people without knowing." He cringed a little, dragging up memories it seemed as though he would like to just forget them.

"When?" I asked. "When was I admitted?"

Edward glanced at Carlisle, then back to me. "It was a week after we were married. We just came home from the honeymoon and then you acted out. I knew beforehand that you were admitted before, but everyone thought you were stable…"

Al jumped in excitedly. "You attacked an entire grocery store! Guess how many people lived? Non-"

"Shut up." Carlisle cut off. I wondered if I was really capable of this, horrified by my own cruelty.

"Anyway, we had found what triggers your blackouts; it's a certain drug that builds up in your brain over time and releases all at once and causes you to loose control. Al, who works for the institution, found a pill that will trigger your episodes." I breathed in quickly through my nose. "So, that was helpful because we could then try to find something to counteract that drug and make you better. So, one day, Al showed up with another drug that he claimed could heal hell and high water. Because we were at a dead end, and had been for months, we tried it." Edward cast his eyes downward. "It was the biggest mistake of my life."

"You went completely wild, for lack of a better word to use; you went mad." Carlisle continued. "You freaked out and attacked anyone who got in your way, then escaped from the institution. No one is quite sure how you got out, but you did." Edward flinched at this sentence. Carlisle paused for a moment the kept on with the story. "You completely disappeared. Your father was incredibly worried about you, he was inconsolable-"

"Wait," I interjected, "my father?"

Carlisle nodded softly. "Yes, your father, Charlie Swan. He lives in Forks; you grew up there, went to high school and started classes at the local college."

"No, I'm in high school. I couldn't have gone to college." My brow furrowed at this thought, 'What had I forgotten?'

"Yes, you went to college, your freshman year, you married Edward; who you knew from therapy when you were in your later teens."

"How old am I?" I asked.

Edward finally spoke up. "Bella, you're twenty-one, I am twenty seven."

I dropped my head, wondering what was happening. I thought I was seventeen. "So, what happened next?"

"Well, at the time, you were living with Edward but over the summer, before the wedding, you went to visit your mother and her new boyfriend Phil in Florida."

"PHIL? How? He's here! I live with him now!" I exclaimed.

Edward looked away, but not before I saw the tears forming in his eyes. Carlisle spoke up. "Renee and Phil died in a car crash two months ago. They drove off a cliff in the middle of the night, burned up in the explosion."

"So," I paused, "who do I live with?"

"Bella, you live in a house that was taken by foreclosure years ago. You live alone; there is no Phil."

"No." was all that slipped out of my mouth before the lights went out.

* * *

**Well, I hope y'all liked that I plan on getting the next one up real soon! I hope I can finish it up then and give you guys some closure! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Umano**

Chapter 8

* * *

All the beatings,

.

.

.

.

All the yelling,

.

.

.

.

All the pain,

.

.

.

.

A lie.

.

.

.

.

I had made up the whole thing in my brain. I laughed sadistically at the next thought I had.

.

.

.

.

"I guess you really are your own worst enemy."

Edward looked at me with sad eyes. "Bella…"

"Edward, don't look at me like that! I mean, come on, is my name really even Bella?"

His eyes flashed to Carlisle who nodded. "No Bella, its Lisa, newly made Lisa Masen."

I nodded, still a little angry, but mostly shocked at that fact. Then, another thought hit me. "I thought I married you?"

Edward sighed once again. "You did."

"But my last name is Masen?" I questioned. "I thought you were a Cullen?"

Edward looked at Carlisle once more. "Well, Lisa," the name sounded foreign to my ears, "my last name is Masen."

"When you escaped, everyone was trying to find you; you were seen as a threat to the people around you." Carlisle had launched back into story mode. "After about a week of no leads, we stumbled upon your hideout in Tacoma, the house you live in now. We went to the police and asked who lived there as well as to keep an eye on the place. When a next door neighbor heard screams, they called it in and they rushed over as fast as possible." Carlisle took a deep breath before continuing. "You were dying, lying in your own blood, spilled by your own hand. You were admitted at the hospital and I flew in to assist because I knew you medical history. I brought along Emmett and Jasper, they also know your history. Their wives, Rosalie and Alice, came along as well, knowing that this would be a long assignment. Edward was already in town, surveying your behavior without alarming you; as a student at the school you started at. Everyone tried to act natural and not raise any suspicion around town, so we acted as a family."

I looked away from the people in the room, ashamed of what I caused. I noticed that out the window, a large van pulled up in the parking lot; the letters NYICI (**N**ew **Y**ork **I**nstitution for the **C**riminally **I**nsane) were printed on the side.

"Lisa, we were only trying to protect you." Edward squeezed my hand gently, taking my silence as anger.

Al also takes notice of this van. "Well, as fun as this chat has been, we've got to run."

I look at Edward with big eyes. "Are you leaving?"

He smiles sadly, but that quickly disappears. "No, love."

My head swivels to Carlisle and I hear Edward murmur. "You are."

"I'm going?" I shout, whipping my head back to Edward.

"Now, now _Bella_. Don't shout; you're in a hospital." Al sneered. "Are you ready to go or do you want to say goodbye to your parents?" his laugh boomed throughout the room.

"Al." Carlisle warned, his face telling of how peeved he was at the behavior of the man at the end of the bed.

"Why am I going?" I asked of anyone who would answer.

Carlisle looked back at me with soft eyes and spoke in a quiet whisper. "You're being readmitted… For life."

I looked down at my fumbling hands, twisting the little ring on my finger. I mulled over the idea of living in sterile, plain rooms for the rest of my life. Then I also pictured me leaning of the dead bodies of everyone I knew. I guess it was for the better; but that doesn't mean I want to go.

"Did you guys ever find the drug that would counteract the chemical in my brain?" I asked in the voice of a small child.

"No, Lisa. We don't know if it even exists, there isn't much funding for the research because there aren't a lot of cases like yours." Edward mumbled out mechanically. A tentative smile inched its way across his face, but didn't reach his eyes. "You're very unique."

"Come on, we have to go!" Al burst out again. "The van is waiting!"

I huffed in annoyance. "Why don't you stick you van where the sun don't-"

Carlisle stopped me. "Why don't we give them a moment."

I nodded at him appreciatively. He nodded back then looked at his son with worry and walked out the door.

"Edward." my voice a whisper once more.

"Lisa. Lisa." His voice was pained and his face was contorted with displeasure. "Don't go."

"I know; I don't want to go."

We sat for a moment and I realized I was wasting my last few moments with Edward. I patted the space next to me in the bed. "Tell me a story."

He crawled in the bed and thought for a moment. "The first time I saw you, you were coming for a therapy session and were screaming and kicking and I thought you were completely bonkers. You were yelling some of the strangest things after you ran out of profanities. But, after about of an hour of sitting and glaring at me, you calmed down and were able to hold a decent conversation. Um, after you were released, and began seeing a different therapist; we hung out. You were great friends with Alice, always shopping together and laughing, joking about everything under the sun. You seemed very… normal." He smiled at the memory of me. "After awhile, we got to know each other on a social basis and started dating." He laughed for a moment, a welcome sound to the grave atmosphere we were in. "I let you choose where to go on the first date and you blindfolded me and lead me, by hand and on foot, for three miles around the neighborhood. I'm pretty sure that people thought we were nuts, but the whole time, you were telling me about your childhood, where you grew up, what you liked to do, everything. It was sweet. When, we got back to your house, where we started, you took off the blindfold and yelled surprise. We went inside and ate pie that you made after that. I still thought you were mad, just in a good way." He smiled to himself then met my eyes sweetly. "Do you remember our wedding?"

"Bits and pieces, but enough." I replied.

He nodded thoughtfully and snuggled in closely to my side, contented in just spending time with me.

The door opened quietly, Carlisle slipped in the room and smiled fondly at us. "Lisa, I'm sorry but, its time to go."

I sighed and sat up, motioning for Edward to get out so I could follow him. We stood and tailed Carlisle out into the hallway, down stairs and out into the parking lot where Al awaited his cargo. He gestured wildly for me to get inside the back of the van, impatient that he had to wait this long. I hugged Carlisle and thanked him for being so kind to me.

I turned to Edward and looked in his eyes, taking in this image of him; this perfect, godly man who waltzed into my life and rattled it off the rails. He could be my everything if I let him, he wants to be. But I grasp his hand tightly one last time and let him go. I release my coveted angel, his lovely face crumpling with the agony of this moment. I try to smile at him like I used to, only a dim shadow of the happiness and love for him slips out. Tears slid down my face, carving burning trails into my cheeks.

"Edward..." I mumble, savoring the feeling of it tingling out of my lips. Unable to resist, I place a hand gently on his face, wiping away the lone tear that defied his attempts to withhold all signs of sadness from me.

"Don't go." he whimpers, lips trembling like that of a small child's.

"You know I can't stay." I rub his cheek for a few more seconds then unwillingly drop my hand. My heart feels heavy and crushed, like I'll never be happy again. Greif overwhelms me and the world feels large while I feel so small; so powerless.

He grabs the fallen hand. "I just got you back. You can't leave me."

"I have to go, its better for everyone." 'Safer.' I thought.

"What about you? I'll never see you again; they don't allow visitation."

"I promise we'll see each other again; whether or not it's in this world, I can't guaranty. But Edward Masen, know that I love you." And I did, I had come to love him over the little time I spent with him and all the care he and his 'family' has shown for me. I released his hand and turned to get in the van idling behind me. As I buckled my seat belt, I turned to look at him one last time.

The sight I saw broke my heart. His hands clenched at his sides and his feet planted into the sidewalk, tears cascading down his cheeks in hot little torrents that carved rivits of sadness into both of our hearts. My stomach lurched in my abdomen and steel cables pulled at my heart, ripping it from my chest.

"I'll leave my heart with you, Edward Masen."

"And I, my Izzy, leave mine with you."

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_Fin_

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**Yay! Finally done, that one dragged on for a really long time but I'm glad I finished it. Thank you to everyone who reads this and I hope that you all can live life and be happy!**

**Love to you all,**

_sukiyumi14_


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